A one-year-old girl was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer after multiple doctor visits where her symptoms were dismissed as constipation. Florence Wilde, now two, was initially taken to her pediatrician because her stomach was swelling and she appeared run down.
Her parents, Anna Chattaway and Dom Wilde, were told by their general practitioner that Florence was likely constipated and were prescribed laxatives. However, the medication did not alleviate her pain, and Florence continued to cry and experience discomfort. Her abdomen continued to enlarge.
When Chattaway took Florence back to the GP, she was again assured it was constipation. At one point, a doctor reportedly said, “Let’s address the elephant in the room, we don’t think it’s cancer.” Florence struggled to sleep due to pain, requiring her mother to hold her upright.
After weeks of concern, the family pushed for a blood test, which revealed elevated levels. This led to a referral to a pediatric assessment unit, where a doctor felt lumps and bumps in Florence's abdomen, indicating it was not simply constipation. The family reported being told on at least six occasions that Florence's symptoms were due to constipation in the three weeks prior to her diagnosis.
In November 2024, just after her first birthday, Florence was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. The tumor measured 30 centimeters and weighed two kilograms, accounting for nearly 15% of her body weight at the time. Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer that develops from immature nerve cells and typically affects children up to five years old. Survival rates for high-risk cases can be as low as 50 percent, making early diagnosis critical.
Florence underwent surgery on November 26, 2024, at Birmingham Children’s Hospital to remove the tumor. She began emergency chemotherapy the following day. Initial treatment aimed to shrink the tumor, which was initially believed to be localized to her stomach. However, scans in January 2025 revealed the cancer had metastasized to her spine.
Approximately 95% of the tumor was removed in March 2025, followed by high-dose chemotherapy. Florence then underwent five cycles of immunotherapy starting in October 2025. In April of the current year, her parents were informed that the tumor had stopped progressing.
Despite completing the standard NHS treatment, the family is fundraising $136,362 for anti-relapse treatment not covered by the NHS. A treatment called DFMO, which became available in the UK in 2024, was withdrawn by the NHS in April of this year, just before Florence was eligible to begin it. The family decided to pursue this treatment independently to help prevent a relapse.